Lin Chen returned to his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard as he rapidly filled out the visa application form on the U.S. Embassy's official website.
"It has to be a tourist visa!" His thoughts were unusually clear. "Business visas require invitation letters and take at least half a month for verification. Student visas take too long. Only tourist visas are fast enough to get me back before the apocalypse arrives!"
He carefully verified every detail: name, date of birth, occupation - all filled out truthfully. Only in the "travel itinerary" section did he fabricate an elaborate ten-day tour route - Hollywood in Los Angeles, the Statue of Liberty in New York, Las Vegas casinos... He even attached screenshots of hotel reservations with free cancellation options, all to maximize his chances of approval.
"Application submitted successfully. Results expected in 3-5 working days."
Seeing the pop-up notification, Lin Chen leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh, though his fingers continued to tap unconsciously on the desk.
He couldn't wait.
With only thirty days left until the apocalypse, every minute and second mattered for survival.
While waiting for the visa results, he couldn't afford to waste any time.
After packing his things, Lin Chen hurried out.
Walking through the bustling streets, surrounded by crowds of people - some rushing, some leisurely, some laughing, some worried - Lin Chen felt a complex mix of emotions.
Five years in the apocalypse, struggling on the edge of life and death every day, had ingrained in him habits of constant vigilance and careful observation.
His current walking posture appeared somewhat peculiar to passersby.
Suddenly, a rush of wind came from behind - Lin Chen instinctively turned and moved with lightning speed.
"Thump!"
A delivery rider who had been rushing from behind was pinned to the ground, his food containers scattering everywhere.
Lin Chen instantly came to his senses: This wasn't the apocalypse yet, just peaceful surroundings.
That "rush of wind" was merely an agile delivery worker. Nearby pedestrians were also startled by the sudden incident.
He quickly helped the delivery rider up, repeatedly apologizing: "I'm sorry, so sorry!"
The delivery rider grimaced in pain: "Are you crazy? What did I do to you? Now all the food is spilled, how am I supposed to deliver it?"
After much persuasion, Lin Chen even lied that he was a retired soldier - his Special Ability-enhanced body did indeed appear somewhat soldier-like in its solid build.
Seeing his sincere attitude, everyone stopped pressing the matter.
The delivery rider, realizing he wasn't seriously injured, eventually accepted two thousand yuan in compensation.
Lin Chen smiled bitterly. The instincts carved into his bones from five years in the apocalypse were hard to change quickly. He could only consciously control himself to avoid causing more trouble.
If things escalated and he got detained until the apocalypse arrived, that would truly be the end.
He kept repeating to himself: This isn't the apocalypse yet, control your emotions, act normal.
Afterward, he first rented a van and headed straight to Yangcheng's largest agricultural wholesale market.
"Boss, fifty pounds each of rice, wheat, and corn seeds. They must be the freshest seeds with guaranteed germination rates!" He forced a slightly stiff smile as he spoke to the middle-aged shopkeeper behind the counter.
The shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback by his odd expression, but since a customer was a customer, he didn't ask too many questions and quickly replied, "Don't worry! These are all new seeds from this year, with a germination rate of over 90%! Would you like some vegetable seeds too? Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers… they're all easy to grow!"
"Yes! Ten jin of each!" Lin Chen nodded immediately, adding, "And wild vegetable seeds—shepherd's purse, purslane, dandelion, give me some of each!"
...
After selecting a wide variety of seeds, the total amount surprisingly exceeded thirty thousand.
Next, he turned and headed to the next shop.
After finishing at the wholesale market, Lin Chen drove straight to a suburban livestock farm.
"Domestic pigs, goats, and yellow cattle—pairs of males and females!"
"Country dogs and tabby cats—pairs too!"
"As much livestock feed as possible!"
The owner swiftly prepared the goods. Lin Chen carefully inspected the health of each young animal, ensuring they were free from illness or injury and capable of reproduction before loading them into his vehicle one by one.
When no one was paying attention, he focused his mind—and all the supplies instantly vanished into the Primordial Creation Pearl.
Over the next few days, Lin Chen went completely "mad."
Unfortunately, with limited funds, he had to resort to some unconventional methods.
Ornamental flowers from the neighborhood's greenbelts? Dug them up discreetly!
Discarded radish tops and apple cores from the market? Collected them and buried them directly in the soil of the Creation Bead Space!
Once, while digging up sweet potato vines on a suburban hillside, an elderly farmer caught him red-handed: "Young man, these are mine! Stop right there!"
Lin Chen gave an awkward smile: "Uncle, I'm researching plant diversity. Could you spare me some seeds?"
"Research? Why not get them from a university?" The old farmer eyed him suspiciously.
"...It's just a personal hobby." Lin Chen chuckled sheepishly before making a quick escape.
In just five days, he traveled through Yangcheng, Guancheng, and Huicheng, collecting seeds of any useful crops he could find.
By now, the interior of the Primordial Creation Pearl had been completely transformed: seeds were piled up like small hills, and young livestock roamed leisurely, yet they instinctively avoided the central Creation Tree shrouded in purple mist and the nearby Spirit Spring, as if in awe of them.
His bank balance had plummeted from 860,000 to 300,000, yet Lin Chen felt an unprecedented sense of security.
"It's a pity the Dimension still isn't large enough. I can only store this much for now." He focused his thoughts, "I need to separate the livestock from the seeds to prevent them from being eaten."
As soon as the idea formed, an invisible barrier materialized within the Dimension, precisely dividing the different areas, and the feed was automatically dispensed into place.
"Perfect." He breathed a sigh of relief.
On the morning of the sixth day since his rebirth, an English phone call came through:
"Hello, Mr. Lin Chen, your U.S. tourist visa has been approved. Please come collect it as soon as possible."
With China's current national strength, the visa application process for its citizens was far quicker than in the past.
"I'll go today." A slight smile curled at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
By the time he left the consulate, his passport already bore a visa valid for three months.
He immediately booked a flight to Los Angeles departing three days later on his phone, then returned to his rented apartment.
Over the next three days, he continued racing against time, busily preparing.
...
On the tenth day since his rebirth, the morning sun pierced through the clouds.
Lin Chen stood downstairs from his rented apartment, with only an empty hiking backpack slung over his shoulder—his clothes, documents, and cash had long been stored in his Ability Space.
"Sixteen more hours, and the recharge will be complete."
He sensed the Creation Pearl in his mind and murmured softly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "If I can really gain a new Special Ability, I hope it's something like 'teleportation'... one of the most overpowered abilities in the apocalypse, far more practical than Earth Tunneling! Run fast, live long; take more, eat well!"
He hailed a taxi straight to the airport, enjoying a smooth ride all the way. Security clearance was a breeze with facial recognition.
Once on board, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
In his previous life, over five years, he had slept in ruins, on piles of corpses, and in sewers.
Now, being able to rest peacefully at an altitude of ten thousand meters was the height of luxury.
Over a dozen hours later, a flight attendant gently woke him. "Sir, the plane will soon be landing at Los Angeles International Airport."
Lin Chen opened his eyes and looked out the window—the West Coast dusk had dyed the horizon gold and crimson.
His eyes showed no trace of fatigue, only clarity and barely suppressed excitement.
After disembarking, he didn't head to any tourist spots. Instead, he casually flagged down a taxi and gave the address of a mid-range hotel not far from the city center—reasonably priced, clean and tidy, with minimal surveillance, perfectly suited to his needs.
Once in his room, he carefully inspected the doors, windows, curtains, and smoke detectors, confirming there were no hidden cameras before collapsing onto the bed to rest.
"Ding!"
The Creation Pearl had finished charging.
With a thought from Lin Chen, the pearl trembled slightly, and a warm surge of energy, like a spring tide, flooded his entire body, rushing straight to his consciousness. In an instant, a clear message appeared:
[New Special Ability Unlocked: S-Class · Space Shuttle (Level 1)]
Maximum Distance: 100 meters
Carryable Weight: ≤ 3 times own weight (currently approximately 210 kg)
Limitation: Cannot penetrate high-density energy barriers
"It worked! I really gained a second Special Ability! And it's still space-based!" Lin Chen sat up abruptly, joy nearly overflowing from his eyes.
He even began to wonder—does this pearl have a consciousness of its own?
"Can you speak? Let's communicate?" He summoned the Creation Pearl, gently rubbing it, filled with anticipation.
Half an hour passed, and the pearl showed no reaction.
He shook his head with a light laugh and withdrew it back into his consciousness.
Carefully sensing the changes in his body, he realized that this time, he had only gained the ability, with no further physical enhancement.
"It seems my current body is already strong enough to handle this energy," he murmured. "I was hoping for another round of strengthening... guess I was overthinking it."
"I originally planned to proceed cautiously, but now—it seems I can go all out."
He lay back down, adjusting to the time difference, quietly waiting for nightfall.
Waking up in the evening, he went out to find food, entering a decent-looking restaurant and ordering a signature set meal.
As soon as the spoon entered his mouth, his brow furrowed.
—It was practically inedible!
If not for the five years in the apocalypse, which had accustomed him to all kinds of rough food, he might have gotten up and left immediately.
Forcing himself to finish, he returned to the hotel, deliberately striking up a casual conversation with the owner to create the impression of an "ordinary guest."
At midnight, he silently slipped into the back alley of the hotel. The night breeze was cool, and the streetlights dim.
Taking a deep breath, he silently chanted, "Shuttle!"
The next moment—
His figure vanished into thin air like mist, leaving only a faint ripple of air in his place.
When he reappeared, he was already a hundred meters away.